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Anonymous
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My daughter is just 12 and has Aspergers, but she is refusing to accept that she is special and has a different outlook on life and the world. I have had to take her out of school due to bullies, and she has become very aggressive when I try to talk to her about her condition. I also have Aspergers.

my 7 year old son has ADHD and now we are discovering that he may also have aspergers syndrome. He has been refusing to do work in school in some subjects. Can anyone give me any advice on how to motivate him to do what he is asked to do.

At 6th grade now, we have never had success with reward systems, token economy, etc. Rewards and consequences have to be much more immediate for our Aspie: "When you finish (whatever), then you can...(whatever highly motivating thing will work for that child, sometimes just a little break, a special job, a chance to bounce, whatever)." just be sure to break it all down into realistic, Aspie-sized tasks. :) our Aspie can finish his homework in less than 10min if he gets to go for a bike ride after, as an example. Good luck!

The rewards definitely have to be immediate and sometimes it helps to give a choice as to what the child might receive as a reward or let them tell you what would motivate them. Every kid is motivated by something different.

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression. As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually.

How to Prevent Meltdowns in Children on the Spectrum

Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's or HFA child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your child are totally exhausted. But... don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next - the meltdown can return in full force.

Parenting Defiant Teens on the Spectrum

Although Aspergers [high-functioning autism] is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager on the spectrum are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

Older Teens and Young Adult Children with ASD Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."Click here to read the full article…

Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are “mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish, insensitive and uncaring.Click here to read the full article...

Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and HFA

Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her “out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress, anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.